Driving and steering mechanism for motor boats



Oct. 18, 1960 E. R. KILVINGTON DRIVING AND STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR BOATS Filed July 9, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. E4 R4 R K/z. w/wmv BY @Wmo Oct. 18, 1960 E. R. KILVINGTON 2,956,536

DRIVING AND STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR BOATS Filed July 9, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 5M4 1?; K14 w/w r0 Unite tates DRIVING AND STEERING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR BUATS The invention herein has relation to a mechanism for driving and steering motor boats including a propeller powered by a drive shaft extending from a prime mover and mounted on a first universal connection of said mechanism, a vertical rudder, a housing mounted on a second universal connection of the mechanism in concentric relation to said first universal connection and rotatably supporting said propeller, said housing having thereon vertical and horizontal fins, a vertical shaft in alinement with the first and second universal connections and rigid with said rudder for controlling angular relationship in a horizontal plane of the vertical rudder, the vertical fins on said housing and the propeller relative to the motor boat, and means for controlling angular relationship in a vertical plane of said horizontal fins an the housing and said propeller relative to said motor oat.

The object of the invention is to provide a driving and steering mechanism for motor boats which will be of simple, inexpensive, practical, novel and improved construction.

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a rearward portion of the hull of a motor boat disclosing the new and improved driving and steering mechanism in elevation;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view, taken on line 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view, taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, taken as on line 44 in Fig. 3.

A motor boat hull 10 includes a bottom wall 11 and side and end walls 12.

A prime mover 13, an internal combustion engine as disclosed, is supported, as at 14, in the hull 10, and a drive shaft 15 of the prime mover extends downwardly and rearwardly.

The drive shaft 15 is rotatably mounted in bushings 16, but one of which is shown, fixed in an elongated tubular element 17 a forward portion of which is anchored, as at 18, within the hull 10. Intermediate portions of the drive shaft and the tubular element 17 pass downwardly and rearwardly through the bottom wall of the hull and rearward end portions of said drive shaft and tubular element are below and in spaced relation to said bottom wall. The rearward end of the tubular element 17 terminates in a rearwardly facing socket 19 gelow and in spaced relation to the stern of the motor oat.

A metallic plate 28 at the rear of the hull 10 is suitably and conveniently secured up against the bottom wall 11 of the hull in sealing relation thereto. The metallic plate 20 is integral with the elongated tubular element 17, and a hollow upright 21, also integral with said metallic plate, extends upwardly, as at 22, through said bottom wall. Upper and lower bushings, each indicated 23, in the hollow upright 21 rotatably support a vertical shaft 24 the upper end of which is fixed, as

I atent at 25, in a forwardly extending, horizontal actuator arm 26. A disc washer 27 on the vertical shaft 24 is between and engaged with the lower surface of the actuator arm and the upper end of said hollow upright.

A lower end portion of the vertical shaft 24, below the bottom wall of the hull, fixedly supports, as at 28, a forward portion of a vertical, longitudinally disposed rudder 29 of the mechanism. An upper surface 30 of said rudder is in spaced, parallel relation to the metallic plate 20, and a disc washer 31 on the vertical shaft 24 is between and engaged with the lower surface of said metallic plate and the upper surface 30 of the rudder.

An opening 32 in a forward curvilinear portion of the lower end of the rudder 29, longitudinally alined with the vertical shaft 24, fixedly receives an upper end portion of a bearing member 33 rotatably mounted in a bearing 34 in bounding relation to an aperture in an upper, intermediate portion of the socket 19. A head 35 of the bearing member 33 is engaged with an internal surface of said socket, and a spacer 36 of or on said bearing member is between and engaged with the forward curvilinear portion of the lower end of the rudder and with the external surface of the socket. The rearward end of the elongated tubular element 17 is supported in fixed relation to the hull of the boat through the instrumentality of the hollow upright 21, the actuator arm 26, the vertical shaft 24, the rudder 29, the bearing member 33 and the socket 19, and said hollow upright and the bearing 34 provide a vertical axis on which said rudder is rotatable in a horizontal plane.

A forwardly facing hollow ball 37 is assembled with the socket 19 to be freely rotatable relative thereto, and said ball is cut away, as at 38, to be in clearing relation to the head 35 of the bearing member 33. A housing 39 is integral with the ball 37 and disposed rearwardly thereof. Together, the socket and ball constitute a universal connection between the elongated tubular element 17 and the housing 39 in vertical alinement with the vertical shaft 24.

A substantially horizontal, longitudinally extending driven shaft 40 of the mechanism is rotatably mounted in spaced bushings, each represented 41, fixed in a cylindrical opening 42 through the housing 39.

A rearward end portion of the drive shaft 15 and a forward end portion of the driven shaft 40, enclosed by the socket 19 and the ball 37, are interconnected by a universal joint 43 in spaced, concentric relation to said socket and ball and vertical alinement with said vertical shaft. A propeller 44, which can beof ordinary or preferred construction, is fixed on the rearward end portion of the driven shaft 40 rearwardly of the housing 39.

A portion of the actuator arm 26 disposed forwardly of the vertical shaft 24 in remote relation thereto is apertured, as at 45, to receive right and left manipulating cables, each denoted 46, for accomplishing steering of the motor boat. Each manipulating cable desirably may ride a pulley 47 rigid with the hull and extend forwardly to a position where conveniently accessible.

Diametrically opposite upper and lower vertical fins, denoted 48 and 49, respectively, on the housing 39 are integral with said housing, and diametrically opposite horizontal fins, each indicated 50, on the housing also are integral with said housing, The fins 48, 50, 49, 50 are at ninety degrees apart.

The upper vertical fin 48 is constituted as a quadrant disposed rearwardly of the ball 37 bounded at its lower portion by the housing, at its opposite sides by parallel, longitudinally extending surfaces, at its upper, forward portion by an upwardly and rearwardly extending surface 51 and at its upper, rearward portion by a curvilinear threaded surface 52.

The lower, rearward portion of the rudder 29, at the rear of and in spaced relation to the vertical shaft 24 and the bearing member 33, is recessed, as at 53, to snugly, adjustably receive the upper vertical fin or quadrant 48. The recess 53 is open at its lower portion and bounded at its opposite sides by parallel, longitudinally extending surfaces disposed exteriorly of and in proximate relation to the opposite side surfaces of said upper vertical fin or quadrant. The upper, forward portion of the recess 53 is bounded by an upwardly and rearwardly extending surface 54, and the upper, rearward portion of said recess is bounded by a curvilinear surface 55 at the rear of and in spaced relation to the curvilinear threaded surface 52 of the upper vertical fin or quadrant.

A downwardly and rearwardly extending opening through the rudder 29, at the rear of and in spaced relation to the vertical shaft 24, is bounded by a cylindrical internal surface 56 in which a worm shaft 57 is rotatably mounted. An externally threaded lower end portion 58 of said worm shaft extends into the recess 53 and is in engaged relation with threads of or on the curvilinear surface 52 of the upper vertical fin or quadrant 48. An upper end 59 of said worm shaft is accessible at the upper surface 39 of the rudder 29. A pin 69 in the rudder and in an annular slot 61 in said worm shaft is for precluding longitudinal movement of the worm shaft. A hollow member 62 intergral with and extending upwardly from the metallic plate 29, through the bottom wall 11 of the hull and in vertical alinement with the upper end of the worm shaft 57 when the rudder is in a vertical plane passed centrally and longitudinally through the motor boat, is for reception of a tool (not shown) for accomplishing rotation of said worm shaft.

The manipulating cables 46 will be employed selectively to swing the actuator arm 26 toward right and left. The vertical shaft 24 will be rotated and the rudder 29, housing 39 with vertical fins 48, 49 and propeller 44 will be swung in a horizontal plane, on said vertical shaft, the universal joint 43 and the universal connection provided by the socket 19 and the hollow ball 37, in direction and to corresponding extent in response to manipulation of said cables, thus tocontrol and regulate the course of travel of the motor boat.

The worm shaft 57 is to be manually rotated, through the medium of a suitable tool inserted into the hollow member 62, when the depth and angle of the. housing 39, the horizontal fins 50 and the propeller are to be altered. Rotation of said worm shaft in one direction will cause said housing with horizontal fins and said propeller to be adjustably swung upwardly and rotation of the worm shaft in opposite direction will cause the housing with horizontal fins and the propeller to be adjustably swung downwardly.

What is claimed is:

1. In a mechanism for driving and steering a motor boat, a propeller powered by a drive shaft extending from a prime mover supported on said motor boat, a driven shaft fixedly supporting said propeller, a first universal connection interconnecting said drive and driven shafts, a vertical rudder, a housing rotatably supporting said driven shaft, said housing being swingable upwardly and downwardly relative to said rudder and having vertical and horizontal fins thereon, a second universal connection in concentric relation to said first universal connection on which said housing is mounted, a vertical shaft rotatably mounted on the motor boat above and in alinement with said first and second universal connections and rigid with said vertical rudder for controlling angular relationship in a horizontal plane of the vertical rudder, said vertical fins on the housing and said propeller relative to the motor boat, and means including a worm shaft in said vertical rudder and a threaded surface on one of said vertical fins for controlling angular relationship in a vertical plane of said horizontal fins on said housing and the propeller relative to said motor boat.

2. In a mechanism for driving and steering a motor boat including a hull having a bottom Wall, a prime mover rigid with said hull, a drive shaft to be forcibly rotated extending rearwardly from said prime mover, an elongated tubular element rotatably housing said drive shaft, a rearwardly facing socket rigid with said tubular element, spaced from said prime mover and situated below and in spaced relation to said bottom wall, a rudder below and in spaced relation to the bottom wall and above the socket, a hollow upright in said hull, a vertical shaft rotatable in and supported by said hollow upright including a lower portion rigid with said rudder, a bearing in said socket and longitudinally alined with said vertical shaft, a bearing member secured to the rudder, rotatably mounted in said bearing and maintaining the tubular element in fixed relation to said bottom wall, a forwardly facing hollow ball assembled with and rotatable relative to said socket, a member rigid with and extending rearwardly of said ball and swingable upwardly and downwardly relative to said rudder, a driven shaft rotatably mounted in said member, a propeller fixed to said driven shaft at the rear of the member, a rearward end portion of said drive shaft and a forward end portion of said driven shaft being situated within and enclosed by said socket and ball, a universal joint within and in spaced concentric relation to the socket and ball and alined with said vertical shaft interconnecting the rearward and forward end portions of said drive and driven shafts, respectively, and manually operable means for accomplishing rotation of said vertical shaft in each of opposite directions.

3. In a mechanism for driving and steering a motor boat including a hull having a bottom wall, a prime mover rigid with said hull, a drive shaft to be forcibly rotated extending rearwardly from said prime mover, an elongated tubular element rotatably housing said drive shaft, a rearwardly facing socket rigid with said tubular element, spaced from said prime mover and situated below and in spaced relation to said bottom wall, a rudder below and in spaced relation to the bottomwall and above the socket, a hollow upright in said hull, a vertical shaft rotatable in and supported by said hollow upright including a lower portion rigid with said rudder, a hearing in said socket and longitudinally alined with said vertical shaft, a bearing member secured to the rudder, rotatably mounted in said bearing and maintaining the tubular element in fixed relation to said bottom wall, a forwardly facing hollow ball assembled with and rotatable relative to said socket, a member rigid with and extending rearwardly of said ball and swingable upwardly and downwardly relative to said rudder, vertical and horizontal fins on said member, a driven shaft rotatably mounted in said member, a propeller fixed to said driven shaft at the rear of the member, a rearward end portion of said drive shaft and a forward end portion of said driven shaft being situated within and enclosed by said socket and ball, a universal joint Within and in spaced, concentric relation to the socket and ball and alined with said vertical shaft interconnecting the rearward and forward end portions of said drive and driven shafts, respectively, first manually operable means for accomplishing rotation of said vertical shaft in each of opposite "directions, and second manually operable means for causing said member to be adjustably swung upwardly and downwardly.

4. In a mechanism for driving and steering a motor boat including a hull having a bottom wall, a prime mover rigid with said hull, a drive shaft to be forcibly rotated extending rearwardly from said prime mover, an elongated tubular element rotatably housing said drive shaft, a rearwardly facing socket rigid with said tubular element, spaced from said prime mover and situated be low and in spaced relation to said bottom Wall, a rudder below and inspaced relation to the bottom wall and above the socket, a hollow upright in said hull, a vertical shaft rotatable in and supported by said hollow upright 5 including a lower portion rigid with said rudder, a bearing in said socket and longitudinally a lined with said vertical shaft, a bearing member secured to the rudder, rotatably mounted in said bearing and maintaining the tubular element in fixed relation to said bottom wall, a forwardly facing hollow ball assembled with and rotatable relative to said socket, a member rigid with and extending rearwardly of said ball and swingable upwardly and downwardly relative to said rudder, vertical and horizontal fins on said member, a driven shaft rotatably mounted in said member, a propeller fixed to said driven shaft at the rear of the member, a rearward end portion of said drive shaft and a forward end portion of said driven shaft being situated within and enclosed by said socket and ball, a universal joint within and in spaced, concentric relation to the socket and ball and alined with said vertical shaft interconnecting the rearward and forward end portions of said drive and driven shafts, respectively, a lower portion of said rudder at the rear of said vertical shaft having a recess therein and a vertical fin of said member being movable upwardly and downwardly in said recess and having a vertically disposed threaded surface, a worm shaft rotatably mounted in said rudder and in mesh with said threaded surface, first manually operable means for accomplishing rotation of said vertical shaft in each of opposite directions thus to cause said rudder, member with fins and the propeller to be swung from side to side, and second manually operable means for accomplishing rotation of said worm shaft in each of opposite directions thus to cause the member with fins and said propeller to be adjustably swung upwardly and downwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,007,486 Proksa Oct. 31, 1911 2,415,183 Law Feb. 4, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 5,120 Germany July 7, 1878 

